Addressing machine



Filed July 25, 195e 5 Sheets-Sheet l Jn. 24, 1939. H lz4 ELUQTT 2,144,650

ADDRESSING MACHINE Filed July 25, 1936 5 Sheets-Sheet 2 Jam 24, 939- H. P. ELLIOTT DDRESSING MACHINE 5 sheets-sheet 3 Filed July 25, 1936 Jan- 24 M339B H. P. ELLIOTT ADDRESSING MACHINE Filed July 25, 1936 5 Sheets-Sheet 4 www-EMM l/f.

Jan. 24, i939.` H, P. ELLIOTT Y ADDRESSING MACHINE Filed July 25, 1936 5 Sheets-Sheet 5 jzve for,

aenm t O H M C 0 5 Patented Jan. 24, 1939 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE Y 10 Claims.

This invention relates to printing and addressing machines of the type wherein the data to be printed is carried by a collection of changeable address bearing plates or printing devices, as

stencils.

One of the objects of the present invention is an improved form of a printing or addressing machine especially adapted to print upon wide sheets of paper and to this end is so arranged that the work table of the machine is relatively free from sheet-obstructing upstanding parts at least at the sides of the work table and in the line of or in advance of the printing position.

A further object of the invention is an irnproved form of addressing machine wherein the printing devices or stencils are fed transversely across the narrow dimension of the table or from the back to the front thereof with the elevated holder for the unused stencils or printing devices located at the rear of the table and the receiver for the used devices located at the front of and below the table so that the side portions of the table" on opposite sides of the line of movement of the printing devices can be free and unobstructed, thereby to permit the use of a wide work sheet.

Another object of the invention is an improved addressing machine arranged as above described with a printing anvil or platen disposed above the table and the printing devices and carried by arms which extend rearwardly of the anvil combined with sheet curling or rolling means located behind the anvil and under the arms and above the table for receiving a long length of wide paper sheet and for curling it into roll form, the anvil supporting arms preferably being pivotally connected with a part of the table and oscillable to move the anvil into and out of printing relation with the sheet and the printing devices.

.10 Another object of the invention is the provision of an addressing machine wherein the printing devices or stencils are advanced forwardly in succession from an unstanding holder located at the rear'of the table and under a printing device,

there being suilicient space between the holder and the printing device to permit inspection of the printing data on the successively advanced stencils or printing devices; there also being selector mechanism located between the holder and the printing mechanism for controlling the operation of the printing mechanism upon selected stencils.

Another object of the invention is the provision of an addressing machine having improved mech- 5b 'anism .responsive to manual control for effecting the repeated printing of visually selected printing devices and also the skipping of such devices without printing therefrom, the skipping mechanism preferably also being associated with automatically acting selector mechanism so that 5 stencils or printing devices can be passed through the printing position without printing therefrom as a result of either the action of the manually operated skipping mechanism or the automatically operated selector mechanism. 10

A further object of the invention is generally to improve the construction and operation of addressing machines.

Fig. 1 is a side elevation of the machine embodying the invention taken along line l-I of l5 Fig. 2.

Fig. 2 is a plan view of the middle portion of the machine, the table parts on opposite sides of the middle portions which are free from mechanism being broken away. 20

Fig. 3 is a sectional elevation taken through the middle line of the machine or along line 3-3 of Fig. 2.

Fig. 4 is a detailed elevation of the printing mechanism taken along line 4-4 of Fig. 3. 25

Fig. 5 is a sectional detail of the manually controlled repeat mechanism taken along line 5 5 of Fig. 3.

Fig. 6 is a detail in elevation of the selector controlled skipping mechanism. 30

Fig. '7 is a detail in elevation of the skipping mechanism taken along line 'l--l of Fig. 2.

Fig. 8 is a perspective detail of the stencil pusher and immediately associated parts.

Fig. 9 is a perspective detail of the sheet Wind- 35 ing scroll.

Fig. 10 is a sectional detail taken through the median line of the machine illustrating a modified form of sheet winding mechanism.

Fig. 11 is a sectional detail through the median 4o line of the machine illustrating the finger for holding the stencil or printing device against retraction and the lingers for guiding the advancing edge of the paper into the winding scroll.

Fig. 12 is a plan view of a stencil adapted for 45 use with the machine of the present invention.

The addressing or printing machine embodying the present invention includes the iiat horizontal table I8 supported at its opposite ends upon legs or frame members I8. The table i6 is providedin .50 about the middle thereof with a groove 2B which extends from the rear to the front edge of the table and has received therein a pair of spaced parallel rails 22 which constitutes a stencil track or guideway along which the stencils are moved from a stencil holder 24 upstanding at the rear end of the table through the printing position and into a stencil receiver 26 disposed at the front end of the table and below the top thereof. The grooves of the rails of the stencil track at the printing position are open at the top as indicated at 28, Fig. 2, so that if desired single stencils can be manually inserted in the track in position to be printed therefrom and removed from the track after the printing operation.

The stencil receiver 26, Figs. i, 2 and 3, includes a pair of spaced side plates 30 having vertical grooves 32 therein in which the upstanding side members 34 of a stencil supporting carriage are guided for vertical movement. The members 34 are connected at the bottom by a plate 36 on which the used stencils 38 rest. The carriage is suspended upon tensile springs 40 which yield downwardly in proportion to the number of stencils thereon,

The stencils are advanced successively into and out of a printing position that is defined by printing mechanism that includes a printing anvil or platen 42 which is located above the stencils and a cooperating elastic and deformable printing roll 44 which is located under the stencils. The printing roll 44, Figs. l and 3, is freely journalled on and between the arms 46 of a roll supporting frame, which arms are extended rearwardly of the roll and are pivotally connected at 48 with a bracket 50 attached by bolts 52 to the underside of the table I6. The anvil or platen 42 is provided with a ilat lower face which is adapted to engage and overlie the printing portion of the stencil and to support the work sheet and the stencil against the printing pressure of the printing roll 44. The platen 42 has at its end a pair of upstanding arms 53 which are journalled on a transverse rod 53a extended between and carried by the lower ends of a platen supporting frame consisting essentially of a pair of arms 54 rigidly connected immediately above the platen by an integral cross bar 56. The platen arms 53 are secured against pivotal movement on the rod 52 by locking screws 58 which pass through said arms 54 and are screw-threaded into the platen arms 50.

It is a characterizing feature of the present invention that the platen supporting arms 54 are scroll or screw shaped and hence provide a more or less circularly shaped space 60 thereunder, the middle parts of the arms being considerably higher above the table at the front ends of the arms that engage the platen. The rear ends of the arms are also separated materially more than the front ends of the arms and are pivotally mounted on opposite sides of the stencil guideway on bearing pins 62 carried by extensions 64 of the bracket 50, which extensions pass upwardly through a slot 66 in the table, see Figs. 3 and 4. The arms 54 are also integral with a yoke shaped part 68 that depends below the table and has xed therein a roll supporting member I in which a cam roller 'I2 is journalled by which the arms 54 and hence the platen is reciprocated.

The printing frame and the printing roller are reciprocated by means including a cam carrying operating arm 'I4 which is pivotally connected, at its forward end and under the printing roll, with a pair of forwardly extended ears 'I8 or" the bracket 50. Said arm 'I4 is adapted to be reciprocated in a vertical plane to effect the conjoint movements of the printing platen and printing roll toward and away from each other. To this end said arm 14 is provided with a side cam block 80 engaged by the printing frame cam roller 'I2 and having dwell faces 82 and 84 and an interposed working face 85 that when it passes under the roller I2 forces said roller toward the left, Fig. 3, and consequently moves the platen downwardly into engagement with the work sheet and the stencil therebeneath. The printing roller` 44 is reciprocated by means of a top cam block 88 carried by said arm 'I4 and having the dwell faces 90 and 82 and the interposed working face 94 which engages a cam roller 96 journalled between the arms 46 that support the printing roll and orces said roll upwardly into pressure applying and printing engagement with the stencil thereabove.

Said arm 'I4 is reciprocated by means oi a cam sector 98 pivotally mounted at its front end upon the aforesaid shaft 'I6 and having a disengageable connection with said arm 14. Said sector 08 is reciprocated by means including a connecting rod |00 from a power mechanism |02, Fig. l, common in the art and including a continuously rotating shaft |04 driven by an electric motor |06 and having an intermittently rotated connecting rod operating shaft |08, the rotation of said shaft |08 being accomplished through clutch and pedal mechanism not necessary to illustrate so as to effect one complete stroke of the connecting rod and hence one complete oscillation of the sector 98 for each printing operation of the machine.

The disengageable connection between the operating arm I4 and the sector 58 includes a latch H0 pivoted at H2 to the end of the arm 'I4 and having a latch projection ||4 that is adapted to enter a notch H6 in the edge portion of the sector 98 whereby to lock the two parts together for conjoint angular movement, the latch being biased toward a locking position by a tensile spring H8. Movement of the latch out of the notch I6 effects the disengagement of the sector and operating arm and permits the movement of the sector throughout an operating stroke without actuating the printing mechanism. The manner in which the latch is disengaged irom the sector will be described hereinafter.

The printing roll 44 is supplied with ink on its periphery by a unitary inking mechanism, Figs. 1 and 3, located beneath the table I6 in front of the printing roll. Said inking mechanism includes a lower roll |20 adapted to receive ink on its periphery, the roll being continuously rotated by means including a belt |22 from the power mechanism |02, and also oscillated axially in a known manner. The roll |20 is in driving engagement with a spreading roll |24 which transfers the ink to the periphery of an upper roll |26 that is in rolling engagement with the printing roll 44 when the latter is in the lower part of its stroke, thereby transferring ink to the surface of the printing roll.

The lower roll |20 is supplied with ink when needed by means of an ink carrying roll or reservoir |28 which is journalled between the arms of a frame |30 pivotally mounted upon the shaft |32 of the spreading roll 24 and held yieldingly in elevated position out of contact with the roll |20 by means including a tensile spring |34. When ink is needed a handle |36 movable with the frame |30 and accessible from the front of the table is adapted to be depressed to bring the roll |28 into rolling engagement with the roll |20 until a sufiicient amount of ink has been deposited on the latter roll, whereupon the handle is released and the ink carrying roll returns to its normal idle position.

The stencil holder 24 is disposed above and behind the stencil rails 22, the rear ends of the stencil rails being terminated at the front end of the holder. The groove 22 in which the stencil rails are located has an extension 22a which underlies the stencil holder and is on the same level with the parts of the grooves in the rails so as to support the lowermost stencil in the holder in line with the grooves for entrance thereinto. The successive lowermost stencils in the holder are advanced therefrom into and along the stencil track by a pusher |38, see especially Figs. 1, 2, 3, 5 and 8.

Said pusher comprises a block which is reciprocable in an opening of the table beneath the stencil holder and has depending ears |40 at the opposite ends thereof which are slidably located on parallel guide rods |42, which rods are located below the top of the table and are fixed removably therein and are extended parallel with the direction of advance of the stencils. The pusher at the narrow side ends thereof has upstanding fiat top ledges |44 which are somewhat higher than the thickness of the lowermost stencil when it is in position to be advanced into the track and hence function to support the stack of stencils in the holder free from engagement with the lowermost stencil so that the lowermost stencil can move freely into the track. The ledges are provided with inclined forward ends |46 which slope downwardly to pusher projections |48 which are adapted to engage the rear edge of the stencil and advance it forwardly. The pusher is provided with ngers |50 which extend forwardly of the projections |48 within the space between the rails and underlie and support the rear portion of the stencil during itsengagement and advance by the pusher.

The pusher can be retracted entirely to the rear of the stencil holder and into the opening |52, see Fig. 3, of the table so that the pusher can be withdrawn and re-inserted following, the removal of the guide rods |42. The opening |52 is closed removably by a cover |54.

The pusher is reciprocated by means of a link |56, see Figs. 1, 2, 3, and 5, the forward end of which is disposed between and pivoted to depending ears |58 of the pusher. Said link extends generally horizontal rearward and the rear end thereof is pivotally connected to an upstanding arm |60 pivotally mounted on a horizontal shaft |62 rotatably supported by brackets |64 and |66 carried by and depending below the table. Said shaft |62 is oscillated by the sector 98. To this end said shaft |62 has an arm |68 fixed thereto which is pivotally connected to the rear end of a generally horizontally disposed connecting rod |70. The forward end of said rod is pivotally connected to an arm |12 pivoted at its upper end on a shaft |14 carried by the under side of the table I5. Said arm |12 has a laterally projecting cam roller |16 that is located in a cam slot |18 of the sector 98, the shape of said cam slot being such as to give the desired amount and rate of oscillatory movement to the shaft 92.

Said pusher operating arm |60 has clutch mechanism which connects it releasably for conjoint oscillation with the shaft |62 and said arm is part of the driven clutch member. Said clutch mechanism includes a driving clutch member comprising a hub |80, see especially Fig. 5, which is slidable lengthwise of the shaft 262 but is connected for conjoint rotation therewith. Said hub has a laterally extended arm |82 which generally confronts the arm |60 and carries a projecting clutch pin |84. Said pin is movable over the confronting face of an arcuate sector |86 of said arm |60 and is spring pressed to move into a recess |88 in said arcuate sector when aligned therewith, thereby to connect the hub and arm |60 for conjoint oscillation.

The clutch elements or members are adapted to be disengaged thereby to render the pusher inoperative when it is desired t0 repeat the printing of the address carried by a selected stencil. For this purpose the clutch hub |80 has an annular groove |90 in Which a throwout yoke is located. Said yoke is pivoted at |92 and is xed with an arm |94. Said arm |94 is pivotally connected to the upper end of a connecting rod |96. The lower end of said connecting rod is pivotally connected to an arm |98 xed to a shaft 200 supported. from an extension 202 of the bracket |64. Said shaft has a second arm 203 xed thereto which is pivoted to the upper end of a pusher rod 204, the lower end of which is pivotally connected to a repeat pedal carried by the base of the machine. The machine has three pedals, a print pedal for actuating the power mechanism |02 to effect a cycle of operation of the machine, a repeat pedal on one side of the print pedal for operating the push rod 204 to effect the repeated printing of a selected stencil, and a skip pedal on the other side of the print pedal for disabling the'printing mechanism and causing an unwanted stencil to be passed through printing position without printing thereon. One of such pedals is illustrated at 205, Fig. l. With this arrangement it will be apparent that when the rod 204 is pushed upwardly the clutch will be disengaged and the pusher will remain idle during an operative cycle of the printing mechanism, thereby to effect a repeated printing operation on the same stencil.

The pusher is held releasably at either end of its stroke and usually the forward end, which is its normal position at the time the machine is started on a printing cycle and the clutch mechanism is simultaneously disengaged for a duplicate printing operation on the same stencil. rlhe releasable holding means includes a V- shaped cam block |60a, Figs. 1 and 5, xed to and oscillable with the pusher operating arm |60 and engaged by a ilat lever |6011 urged against the block by a spring |600 and adapted yieldingly to engage either ilat side of the block thereby to hold the pusher removably at either end of its stroke.

Selector mechanism is also provided for controlling the printing mechanism to print from selected stencils only. The mechanism is also so arranged that the printing mechanism can be disabled manually to withhold a printing operation on a stencil that the operative by inspection decides should not be used. The selector mechanism, both automatic and manual, is arranged to control the engagement and disengagement of the latch 0, see Fig. 3, with and from the sector 98.

The automatically operated selector mechanism includes a guide member 208, see Fig. 3, which is supported by, but electrically insulated from, a bridge 2| 0 which straddles the stencil track and is disposed between the stencil holder 24 and the printing frame 54. A rack bar 2|2. is vertically reciprocable in the guide bracket 208 and carries a foot 2|4 at its lower end. Said foot is provided with a plurality of spring pressed selector pins 2|6 which are disposed in line with an edge portion of the stencil 38 which is adapted to receive one or more perforations 218, see Fig. 12, .,therethrough. Passage of a selector pin through a perforation and into electrical engagement with a contact plate 220 beneath the stencils eifects the completion of a control circuit which will be described more specifically hereinafter.

The rack bar 208 of the selector is reciprocated by means of a gear sector 222 meshing with the rack bar. Said sector is Xed to a shaft 224 having an arrn 226 which is pivoted to the forward end of a link 228, the rear end of said link bieng pivoted to an upstanding arm 230 fixed to a shaft 232, see Figs. 1, 2, 3 and 6, journalled in a magnet suporting bracket 238 fixed to the rear edge of the table. Said shaft 232 at the other end thereof has fixed thereto a downwardly depending arm 24D .which carries at its lower` end a cam roller 242 engageable with a cam block 244 carried on a side face of the sector 98. The arrangement of the cam block is such that as the sector 98 is oscillated the arm 240 and the parts connected therewith are also oscillated, thereby to move the selector pins 2IE into cooperative relation with the successive stencils. 'Ihe magnet supporting bracket 238 has a depending arm 245 on which a generally vertically disposed la-tch tripping lever 246 is intermediately pivoted. The lower end of said tripping lever has a lateral projection 248 that confronts the roller 250 of the latch H8 when the latter is at the bottom part of its stroke, whereby to move the latch out of engagement with the sector 98 when the tripping lever is moved in a clockwise direction, Fig. 3, thereby to disable the printing mechanism while permitting the stencil feeding mechanism to be actuated.

The tripping lever 246 is actuated manually and for this purpose has a depending arm 252 connected for conjoint angular movement therewith and pivotally connected to the upper end of a push rod 254, the lower end of which is connected to a skip pedal disposed on the side of the print pedal opposite the repeat pedal. Thus by depressing both the print and the skip pedals at the same time an operation of the machine is started and the printing mechanism is disabled. the stencil advancing mechanism being operative to push the unwanted stencil out of printing position.

'I'he trip lever 246 is also controlled electrically. For this purpose the upper end of the trip lever` is provided with upper and lower detents 256 and 258, respectively, with either of which the hook 260 of the latch 262 can be operatively engaged. The latch is loosely mounted upon the shaft 232 and can be reversed in position to cooperate either with the detent 256 or the detent 258. With the present construction it is arranged to cooperate with the upper detent 256.

Th operative connection between the latch and detent is controlled by a lever 284 pivoted to the bracket 238 and forming the armature for an electromagnet 28B carried by said bracket. When the electromagnet is de-energized the latch end of the lever 264 is elevated to engage and hold the latch in its upper position, where it is engaged with the detent 258. When the magnet is not energized the heavier latch end of the lever falls thereby permitting the latch to fall when it is not engaged with the detent 256.

The tripping lever 245 is provided with an` arm 268 carrying a cam roll 219 that is adapted to be engaged with the inclined face 212 of a cam block 214 carried by'the sector 98 thereby to move the top end of the lever in a counter-clockwise direction, Fig. 7, at each stroke of the sector 98, 4the movement being suflicient to disengage the detent 256 from the hook 26D of the latch. Thus if the latch is not held in raised position when the detent 256 moves in the opposite direction the tripping lever will be free from movement in a clockwise direction under urge of the spring 216, Fig. 2, and hence will be positioned for skipping a stencil. With this arrangement the device is arranged to effect a printing operation upon every stencil that does not have a hole 2l8 in line with a selector pin and thus does not permit energization of the electromagnet 266 and to skip every stencil that has a perforation which is entered by a selector pin, since the electromagnet is thus energized. This energization occurs at the time the detent 256 is behind the hook of the latch and the latch is held in elevated position by the enerf gized electromagnet and thus locks the tripping lever in a skip position.

With the manual control of skipping the operative as the result of visual inspection of the stencil can skip a stencil that the automatically operative selector mechanism has selected for a printing operation.

The present machine is particularly adapted for printing addresses or other data upon long and wide sheets, the sheets being positioned on the table above the stencils. The sheet is herein fed automatically from the front toward the rear of the machine by means including feed rolls 218, see Figs. l, 2 and 3. Said feed rolls are fixed to a shaft 288 journalled in bearing brackets 282 of u:

a bridge bar 284 which straddles the stencil tracks and also is spaced above the table for at least a distance that is as long as the paper or work sheet is wide.

The feed rolls 280 cooperate with idler rolls 286 which are rotatably supported at the forward ends of the arms 288 of a frame pivoted on a shaft 290. The idler rolls 286 pass through slots 292, see Fig. 2, of the stencil track to press the work sheet against the feed rolls 288.

Said idler rolls are held releasably in operative position by an arm 294 fixed to the shaft 298 and extended forwardly and having a pin 296 operating in the slot 298 of a manually operated throw-over handle 300. A spring 382 bears against the end of the arm 294 to maintain the idler rolls in pressure engagement with the feed rolls 218 of the sheet therebetween. The arrangement of the arm 294, the throw-over handle 388 and the compression spring 3D2 is such that when said handle is moved inwardly or toward the rear of the machine the idler rolls are moved downwardly, thereby to free the paper sheet from driving engagement with the feed rolls and at the same time the handle 300 is held in the disengaged position.

The feed rolls 218 are driven through suitable gearing 304, see Fig. 2, through a one-way ratchet or clutch mechanism having a driven element 396 connected with the gears and a driving element 388 reciprocated by means including a link 3 l .fl by an arm 312 fixed to and oscille-.ble with the arms 54 of the printing frame. The feed mechanism is more or less common in the art and need not be described. The stroke oi the driving clutch member 398 can be adjusted for any desired extent o-f paper feed. The feeding operation takes place during the upward movement of the printing frame.

The present machine is designed for printing upon long work sheets and hence means are herein provided to roll the printed portionof the sheet into roll or scroll form.

The feed rolls are arranged to feed the sheet into roll forming means. The roll forming means, illustrated in Figs. 1, 2, 3, 4 and 9, includes a Scroll shaped member 3 lli which as here shown is essentially a metal sheet shaped into generally tubular form and located under the arms 54 of the printing frame forwardly of the rear ends of the arms and within the printing frame and above and transversely of the stencil track. The adjacent ends SIS and 3l8 of the sheet are spaced apart to provide an entrance 32B for the sheet, the entrance'being disposed at the bottom of the tube formed by the sheet and above the stencil track, the rear edge 3HE of the sheet preferably being lower or nearer the track than the edge 3i8 so that the advancing edge of the paper is engaged by the edge 3 I 6 of the sheet and guided upwardly into the interior of the tube. As the paper advances the scroll automatically causes the paper to wind into a roll or scroll form. The rear portion of the scroll sheet is secured preferably detachably as by screws 322, see Figs. 3 and 9, to brackets 324 secured removably to: the top face of the table IE.A

'I'he lower rear edge 3l6 of the scroll is preferably spaced somewhat above the top of the stencil track and upwardly bowed spring fingers 326 are employed to form upwardly inclined tracks that guide the advancing edge of the paper into the scroll as is particularly illustrated in Fig. 1l. The fingers 32E are formed of resilient spring strips secured at their rear ends by screws 328 to the rails constituting the stencil track and having their forward ends pressed resiliently into notches 329 formed in the upper faces of the rails constituting the track, the fingers being located in notches 336 formed in the rear edge SIG of the scroll sheet.

The scroll sheet 3|4 is sufficiently wide to cause a wide paper sheet to roll up therein without buckling, although the scroll sheet need not be as wide as the paper sheet and the paper sheet can project from both ends of the scroll sheet. The top of the table I 6 is free and unobstructed at both ends of the scroll sheet so that a paper sheet of unlimited width can be handled by the machine and formed into a roll.

For some purposes the scroll 3 I 4 can be omitted and the arms 54 of the printing frame can be employed directly to wind the sheet into scroll form, as is illustrated particularly in Fig. 10, the inner faces 332 of the arms being of circular configuration for this purpose. When the arms are used for this purpose it is sometimes helpful also to employ a curved guide sheet 334, see Fig. 10, which is secured to the cross bar 53 that connects the arms 5G of the forward ends thereof, the guide sheet overlying and spaced upwardly above the stencil track and having its rear edge terminated in spaced relation with the rear portions of the arms so as to provide an entrance passage 336 for the paper sheet. The guide sheet prevents the advancing edge of the paper from the possibility of catching upon a part of the platen or anvil although the anvil can be made free from projecting parts. The guide sheet also guides the leading edge of the sheet more tangentially upon the body of the sheet under the printing frame. sheet 334 can be omitted and the arms 54 employed per se as the scroll forming means.

The platen 42, see especially Figs. 3 and 4,

For some purposes the guide carries a resilient member 338 hinged to the platen and overlying the bar 54 and extended forwardly of the printing frame and downwardly and having a horizontal plate 34B at its lower end which is at least as wide as the platen and extends downwardly therebelow and is adapted to engage the stencil track for one purpose of stripping the paper sheet from the broad flat face of the platen if it should have a tendency to adhere thereto.

When the machine is intended for advancing separate sheets or envelopes the feed roll supporting bridge 284 can be removed from the table with its feed rolls and separate sheets or envelopes inserted under the platen, the advancing edges of the sheets being located at a predetermined position fixed by an adjustable stop 342 which can be releasably secured in selected position on the table transversely above the stencil track rearwardly of the printing position.

The table is provided with a resilient spring strip 344 which underlies the edges of the stencils in the stencil track and is adapted to project into the stencil space and engage the rear edges of separate hand-inserted stencils so as to define the printing position thereof. The strip is suflciently exible to be depressed out of the path of movement of the automatically advanced stencils.

It is to be noted that, with the present arrangement involving the sheet winding scroll the paper work sheet is advanced lengthwise of the stencil guideway and not crosswise thereof as has been the case heretofore. By advancing the sheet lengthwise and above the guideway all the essential operative parts of the machine can readily be disposed behind or under the sheet so that the table at both sides of the guideway can be free and clear of upstanding parts and hence a sheet of unlimited width, as well as length, can be used and can receive the printing on any desired of its width.

I claim: l. An addressing machine comprising a table having a guideway, a holder for a stack of printing devices located at one end of said guideway, a printing frame in front of said holder having a pivotal connection with sai-d table forwardly of said holder and extended forwardly over said table, a printing element carried by the forward end of said frame, means for reciprocating said frame to move said printing element into printing relation with the successive printing devices in said guideway, said printing frame being of arched formation along the line of said guideway and from said table upwardly and arranged to receive a sheet that is advanced into engagement therewith and to curl the sheet into roll form.

2. An addressing machine including a table having a guideway along which printing devices are advanced in succession, a reciprocable printing frame disposed above said guideway having a printing element movable with said frame into and out of printing relation with the printing devices, and means including said frame operative upon a sheet to shape it into roll form under said printing frame.

3. An addressing machine comprising a table having a guideway along which a succession of printing devices are adapted to be advanced, a printing frame disposed above said guideway having a printing element that is movable into and out of printing relation with the devices, and means including said frame providing a curved surface operative to form a sheet into roll form at one side of said printing element.

4. An addressing machine comprising a table having a guideway, a holder for a stack of printing devices upstanding above said table at one end of said guideway, a printing frame overlying said guideway in iront of said holder, a printing element carried by said frame, means for reciprocating said frame to reciprocate said printing element into printing relation with the successive printing devices in said guideway, and means including said printing frame operative to shape a sheet into roll form behind said platen and under said printing frame and above said guideway.

5. An addressing machine comprising a table having a guideway, a printing frame llocated above said guideway having a printing element movable into and out of printing relation with the successive printing devices in said guideway, means for advancing a sheet under said printing element, and means including said printing frame operative to shape the sheet into roll form behind said printing element.

6. An addressing machine comprising a table having a guideway along which successive printing devices are adapted to be advanced, a printing frame overlying said guideway including a pair of arms which have pivotal connections with said table on opposite sides of said guideway and are extended forwardly over said table and are arched upwardly, a printing element carried by the forward ends of said arms, and means for reciprocating said frame to move said printing element into and out of printing relation with the successive devices in said guideway, said arched arms being positioned to be engaged by the leading edge of a sheet and constituting at least in part means for shaping a sheet bearing the printed data of said printing devices into roll form.

7. An addressing machine comprising a table having a guideway along which successive printlng devices are adapted to be advanced, a printing frame overlying said guideway having at one end a pivotal connection with said table and having at the other end a printing element, means for reciprocating said frame to move said printing element into and out of cooperative relation with the successive printing devices, said frame having a circularly arched construction constituting at least in part means to be engaged by the leading edge of and to shape a record sheet into roll form.

8. An addressing machine comprising a table having a guideway, a holder for a stack of stencils upstanding above said table at one end of said guideway, a platen frame having a pivotal connection with said table at one end thereof and extended forwardly along said guideway and above said table in front of said holder, a platen carried at the forward end of said guideway. means for reciprocating said frame and platen into and out of cooperative relation with the successive stencils in said guideway, an impression device located under said table and guideway and platen, means for reciprocating said impression device into and out of cooperative relation with said stencils and platen, inking mechanism for said impression device located under said table, and means for forming a record sheet into roll form above said table and guideway behind said platen and under said platen frame, said roll forming means being constituted at least in part by said platen frame and said platen frame being interiorly of approximately circular configuration that is located crosswise of said guideway and entirely in front of said holder.

9. An addressing machine comprising a table having a guideway, means for advancing a succession oi printing devices along said guideway, a printing element movable into and out of cooperative relation with said printing devices, and means for shaping a record sheet into roll form including a circularly shaped roll forming member having a sheet engaging edge portion located above said guideway, and a separate guiding member underlying said edge portion and inclined downwardly therefrom and forwardly toward said guideway for guiding the advancing edge of the sheet onto said edge portion.

l0. An addressing machine comprising a table having a guideway along which successive printing devices are advanced, a printing element movable into and out of cooperative relation with successive printing devices in said guideway, a sheet holding tubular member located above said guideway behind said printing element having a longitudinally extended passage for the sheet transversely of and above said guideway, and a sheet guiding finger extended downwardly from and forwardly of said passage toward said table and operative to guide a sheet between said passage and table.

HARMON P. ELLIOTT. 

